Surface water sports have many forms, such as, for example, surfboarding where the surfer rides a surfboard on waves on water, or kite boarding where a kite boarder rides on a kite board floating on the water and uses a wind borne kite to pull him or her and the kite board over and above the surface of the water.
The sport of kite boarding requires a kite boarder to dynamically balance on a kite board on the water surface while he or she is pulled rapidly over the surface of the water by a harness connected by lines which are attached to a wind propelled kite. Sometimes, the kite boarder, for reasons such as hitting unexpected waves, or encountering sudden gusts of wind, falls off the kite board into the water and becomes separated from the kite board. When this occurs, the kite board tends to stop quickly. Meanwhile, the kite boarder and the kite are pulled along for a certain distance by the force of wind caught by the kite. This happens before the kite boarder can spill the wind and bring the kite down on the water surface. It is not uncommon for the kite board and the kite boarder to be separated a good distance from each other. Not infrequently, the kite board inverts in the water after the rider is separated from the kite board. In such situations, it is difficult for the kite boarder, who is mostly submerged in the water, particularly in water reflective sun glare or choppy conditions, to locate the kite board.
There is a strong need for a method of uprighting the kite board, assisting the separated kite boarder in identifying the location of the kite board, and inducing the uprighted kite board to move downwind. There is also a need for a device which carries out the method.